Little Blood
by Lexiphane
Summary: Pre!Season One. During a meeting between Archon and the Prince from Tucson an 8 year old girl makes something of an impression.


She was sweet as honey. Julian could tell that just watching her. All her dark hair was pulled back from her face in a silver clip, a fake sunflower affixed to it. The clip had done very little to help the situation with her hair, it was still mussed, as though she'd run her fingers through it. And perhaps she had but at the moment she was the picture of serenity, her hands folded neatly in her lap. Only her swinging feet belied any boredom. Her feet were encased in shined boot. She dressed to match the clip in her hair, in a black sundress with little yellow flowers all over it and a grey cardigan thrown over the whole thing.

Eight years old and she sat at the Conclave table beside the Nosferatu Primogen and didn't bat an eye. From his place at Archon's side Julian could see the way Deadalus watched her. There was such a softness to the Nosferatu, there was a tender heart beneath the monsterous exterior. He tried to behave as though he wasn't watching but Julian knew him better than that. The girl gave a great, heaving sigh that moved her whole body. Beside her the Prince she had come with reached out and brushed her hair out of her face. Absently, as though she were very used to it, she batted his hand away.

"I'm Amelia," she said, turning to Deadalus in her seat. She tucked her feet up onto the chair with her and held her hand out for him to shake. The Nosferatu hesitated for only a moment before carefully taking her small hand in his clawed one, "you should call me Amy."

"You may call me Deadalus, Amy," he smiled, a flashing of facngs which should have scared a child her age. Amelia just smile sweetly back at him.

"I would have anyway," she told him, leaning conspiratorially close. She cast a theatrical look around, her voice dropping to a play whisper, "Adrian says it's cause I'm a brat."

"You get it from your father," Adrian's voice was warm and fond as his hand found her spin and he urged her back around in her seat so that she was sitting properly. Julian saw her head tip to the side, her body tuning in to what her Prince was saying. Stared for stories of her family then? Or just that devoted to her Prince? Adrian brushed her cheek softly "Hush now, you asked to come with me."

She looked as though she wanted to say something more but she fell silent, sinking back in her chair, arms crossing over her chest. She was still and silent again, waiting for the grown ups to finish their business. But Julian got the feeling that she was steeling herself to listen to, she would pay careful attention to every word, that much he was certain of.

"Your child is brave to ask to be here, or very naive, Adrian," Archon's voice was low and it quieted the table instantly, Stevie Ray and Lillie setting their whispered conversation aside for another day. All eyes turned to him and Amelia leaned forward with everyone else to watch his face. Her eyes were solemn, her mouth a set line. She was not naive, Julian could see that she knew much more than a child her age ought to. Archon tipped his head to the side to study her "she knows of the Masqurade."

"Her father was embraced before he knew that she existed, her mother is... her father petitioned that she not be separated from him," Adrian's fingers sifted through her dark hair and she looked up at him with wide dark eyes set in her pale face. There was a sprinkling of freckles across her nose and cheeks. Julian saw a glimpse of her true age, her childish fear. Adrian just smiled at her and she looked away. It was Deadalus who laid a hand over hers where it rested on the table top. Adrian looked up at Archon "Amelia will be Kindred when she is old enough. She does not endanger the Masquerade."

"That is not how things work in my city," Julian knew that tone in Archon's voice, it was dangerous and both Adrian and Amelia picked up on that. The child shrank back towards Deadalus and there was wonder in the man's eyes. Adrian looked on the edge of snarling.

"It is how it works in my city, Archon," Adrian's enforcers, two punk Gangrels stepped close, clearly less than impressed with the tone Archon had taken with their Prince. Adrian held up a hand though and the men stopped, jaws tight and eyes angry but they obeyed him. Adrian smiled pleasantly and spread his hands as if to show he were unarmed, harmless "My Amy will not put you and yours at risk, she will not endanger the Masquerade."

"Why would you even bring a child to proceedings like these?" Eddie finally spoke up, said what shocked no one to hear him say. Julian felt the edge of a sneer on his mouth, Eddie was an asshole.

"She likes to know things," Adrian sounded so proud of the child and she tipped her head to the side, watched him with bright eyes, "she will be Primogen one day."

"It takes more than the Prince's favour to be Primogen," Lillie warned, her voice carrying in the small room, "I don't doubt you, child, I just think you must be realistic."

"I will be," Amelia pouted, looking for the first time her age. She crossed her arms over her chest and slumped back into her seat. She scowled at Lillie. The older woman laughed.

"Well, she's got the right attitude for it," Lillie sounded delighted and she folder her hands before her, leaning towards the girl, "and you'll be Toreador, like your Prince?"

"Nope," Amelia shook her head and leaned forward on her seat. One of Adrian's bodyguards, the broad one with a shock of red hair and tattoos crawling up his arms, reached out to touch her shoulder, to eas her back when she leaned what he decided was too far forward, "I'm going to be gangrel!"

"Excellent," Stevie Ray laughed, a great booming sound that echoed in the room and he leaned around Lillie to better seed the little girl. His eyes danced, "we can't wait to have you."

"Well you have to," she looked up at Adrian a little frown starting between her brows.

"Seventeen," Adrian supplied for her, answering the question she never asked and her eyes went wide and horrified. Adrian cocked an eyebrow.

"I have to do my life two more times?!" she threw herself back in the seat, slumped and dejected. Lillie turned her laugh into a cough, "that sucks."

"It'll be over before you know it," Deadalus assured her, patting the young girl's shoulder softly. She just gave a long suffering sigh and stayed slumped in her seat.

"Suddenly," Julian drawled and all eyes turned to him, "I feel very old."


End file.
